Tuesday, February 20

Stir Your Risotto Less, Work Your Glutes More

When we first moved to Southern California, we thought we were in pretty good shape; turns out that “pretty good shape” is a relative phrase. Even the guy bagging our groceries knows his body fat percentage. In fact, the popular gym chain, 24 Hour Fitness (yes, they are open 24 hours a day), originated here. That pretty much says it all.

After a killer leg workout at the gym this past Sunday, we wanted to treat ourselves to a mega-carb meal. Since I had a butternut squash saved and had just purchased some fresh rosemary, I decided to make butternut squash risotto.

I prefer fresh rosemary to dried because its soft needles are much more redolent and its flavor is brighter. In this butternut squash risotto, it heightens the flavor of the squash and balances the pungent blue cheese.

I know some people don’t make risotto because it takes too long and the continuous stirring is tedious. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret: I’ve been making risotto for years, and I don’t stir it continuously. Malto Mario would be disappointed, I’m sure. But it never seemed to make any significant difference to me. And now Jamie Oliver (in Jamie’s Italy) has vindicated us non-stirrers, saying he stirs only intermittently as well.

True, making risotto is not a 10-minute meal. But trust me, it’s worth the work (and a few extra reps on the leg press).

I have submitted this recipe to Anna of Anna's Cool Finds who is hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blogging.

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees; place walnuts on a baking sheet in oven for about 10 minutes, until slightly toasted and fragrant.

Bump up the heat to 400 degrees. Slice squash in half, remove seeds, and rub with a little olive oil; roast face-side down for 40-45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Once the squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh, and mash it by hand. It will be added to the cooked risotto later.

Meanwhile, heat broth in a saucepan over medium heat, then lower to a simmer.

For the risotto: In a large metal skillet, saute the shallots in olive oil and butter. Add the Arborio rice; toast for about 1 minute. Cook the risotto at a slow simmer, adding heated broth ½ cupful at a time. Stir occasionally, making sure the risotto absorbs the liquid before adding more; just be careful not to let the bottom burn. As it continues to absorb the liquid, it will become tender and creamy. Also, season with some salt as you go along.

I use 2-3 cups of broth for this recipe, but use more or less as needed. It usually takes about 20 minutes for the risotto to become completely cooked; but taste it. It should be wonderfully creamy and thick; it’s best al dente, which means it should still retain some firmness when you chew it. At this point, add the cooked squash, half n'half or milk, ½ the rosemary, and some salt & pepper; stir well.

Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese now, as it will melt more slowly. Add some salt and pepper as needed. Most cookbooks suggest adding 1-2 Tbsp. butter at this point, but it’s optional (and a lot fewer calories without it). Plate your risotto, topping it with crumbled blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and the rest of the chopped fresh rosemary. Eat right away to enjoy its velvety goodness.

Makes 4 portions. (or 2 if it’s after a leg workout)

Saw these pretty pink tulips near my apartment on Sunday and just wanted to share them with you. Spring is coming....

58 comments:

Oh - I might have to reconsider visiting CA - one look at me and I would get the WTF/Body fat looks! But, I would be smiling bright eyed and bushy tailed while eating this fabulous recipe! Squash, walnuts, AND blue cheese...a trio made in heaven.

This looks good enough to eat off the page! I'm sure to try this recipe sometime, but it had better be after my workout at the Sports Club LA (SF)! LA does seem to be the fitness capital! Thanks for participating in WHB.

Aw (weep, weep), thanks for the tulip picture! So sweet.OK. Susan, you live in California now. You don't have to buy rosemary. You can pinch a sprig off a nearby hedge, or you can grow your own plant in a pot. Clear?Gorgeous risotto.

Oh my god. First, my dad who lives in L.A. calls to tell me they hit 90 degrees over the weekend. Then, I see your gorgeous tulips. It's enough to give me a serious case of the winter crazies! Good thing your risotto talked me off the ledge... that is seriously one of the creamiest risottos I've ever seen. Thank you so much for the recipe.

Ciao! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and can I just say MAMMA MIA, che bello questo risotto! It looks heavenly. We LURVE risotto in my Roman household. My soon-to-be Roman hubby (after 6 yrs. together, one month and counting!) makes a lovely pumpkin risotto which is probably similar to this since in Italy there's only one word for both squash and pumpkin: zucca!

Ale's what you'd call one of them continous stirring types, but that's probably ingrained in Italian youngsters from birth. ;-) So don't worry, I won't tell about your intermittent stirring habits!

I'm an intermittent stirrer, too. What I find is that the shallower the pan, the more you have to tend it, especially if you're new to risotto-making. After a while, you get a feel for your pans and the different kinds of rice, and then you can walk away for a few minutes here and there.

Risotto is my favorite food ever in the whole world. :)Your combination of flavors sounds wonderful, I love rosemary - I even have a small vase of rosemary in my apartment and it's been growing beautifully!

I think we're really connected today - tulips are my favorite flowers. Really. I even tried to get some for my wedding bouquet, but it was January (summer here) and hot as hell - I just couldn't.

P.S.: Sorry for the long comment, but I had to say it: when I was going to the gym, religiously, everyday, all I thought about was how much I wanted to be home, cooking. ;)

Susan,It's been a while since I made risotto, but I was a constant stirrer back then. I would say that Lydia's comment is right on the mark. A deeper, heavier pan makes less work for the cook.

I'd be willing to go back to my risotto efforts for this one. I love absolutely every ingredient in it. Since I don't belong to a gym, I'll have to go hike a mountain afterwards, but that's OK. It would be worth it!

i grew up in cali and lived there most of my life...the fitness thing did not take with me! i have been accumulating risotto recipes, but this one seems the most delicious sounding by far! the tulip picture is beautiful. up here, north of seattle, they grow tulips, and there is a tulip festival. (coming up soon i think!) the fields of tulips are just gorgeous!

Between the butternut squash, the rosemary, the walnuts and the blue cheese, you have hit all of my favorite ingredients! Beautiful photos -- I'm salivating! And, I'll be on the stationary bicycle tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. ...

how did you ever get everyone of my favorite ingredients and put into one dish!!! i am most certainly trying this! funny - i was just saying to myself this morning, "self, i've never made risotto, and i'm very italian."

thanks for sharing this ... shh.. I needed another reason to get yet another butternut squash ;)

I love the idea of all these tastes blending together. The squash, the cheeses, rosemary, walnuts--amazing! Also like the thought of cooking risotto without constant stirring. When you roast the squash, do you coat the cut side with any olive oil at all? I know most roasted vegetables fare better if you do.

I love this recipe. Looks delicious. I'm not Italian but I love making risotto especially in those cold winter months here in Canada, risotto is such a perfect comfort food. I must admit I do stir continously... well I don't stir but I engage my husband to stir continously. This way we spend quality time in the kitchen :-)

Oh I adore risotto and this one looks just fabulous... I do have to say that I might cheat and eat it *without* first doing a punishing workout at the gym - but my excuse is that the temperature here is still like 9C, so I need a little extra body fat to stay warm! I was also quite surprised that you have tulips growing happily - I would have though CA was too temperate? Back home in my South African hometown, it was so temperate that to get your bulbs to flower, they'd need to spend some time in the fridge/freezer to fool them into thinking that they had experienced winter ;-)

Johanna-The problem is I have to stop myself from indulging too much.;) Your quiche sounds delicious.

Kate-Thanks! I agree. You get a feel for it after making it several times.

Lis-Let's say I don't have the patience of a saint either.;) Thanks so much!

Brilynn-Thanks! I agree. It works with so many seasonal ingredients.

Gilly-Consider it an added upper body workout.;) Thanks.

Lucy-You're welcome! The blue cheese really works well with the sweet squash.

Linda-I'm so glad they're your favorites! As an Italian, you simply must make risotto. Once you do, you'll be hooked forever! I promise.

Terry-So glad you like it! Yes, I do rub olive oil on it. Thanks for mentioning it; I'll add it.

Michelle-Mmmm sage and fontina sounds lovely.

Ellie-Thanks! I hope you try it. The only problem with the leg press is there's always a line.:(

Monika-Just do what I do with my husband--give him a glass of wine and some good cheese, and he'll be happy to stir forever. :) Thanks so much for the compliments!

Jeanne-Okay, I'll cut you some slack this time...;) As far as the tulips go, I think the temps in the 80's and 90's we had last week helped them along. We're usually in the 60's and 70's about now. Thanks so much!

Your post made me laugh, Phoenix is a bit like LA with everyone wearning no clothes and being VERY fitness obsessed. We are just lucky that the major industry isn't entertainment, so we are spared some of the body obsessing. People in Phoenix do actually eat. :)

Susan, I will confess too ... I stir occasionally! As a matter of fact when I bought Jaimie's Italy I too had to smile at the revelation. Adding butternut squash and combining it with rosemary certainly sounds like an explosive combo. Those tulips made my day too! Thanks!

My wife and I make butternut squash risotto all the time during the winter. We use on of two varations:1. Roasted mashed squash with sage;2. Diced, sauteed squash with leeks.Either way, you can't go wrong. Also, I agree that risotto doesn't need to be constantly stirred. If you've got the heat right, you should be able to get light simmer without having your rice stick. Then you're golden -- like your dish.

I do like the idea of stirring risotto less (but I'm not so keen on working my glutes more...). We just had mushroom risotto the other night - dried Chinese mushrooms that look suspiciously like porcini and chicken stock. At the last minute we decided against adding grated parmiggiano and were not sorry. The risotto was fabulous but I must say I was freaking out whenever we had to stop stirring. What a relief to know that it's okay to let it alone sometimes.

I must admit I also fail to stir my risotto! I'm intruiged by the roasted squash...it sounds like it would be very hearty and filling that way (and sometimes for veg risotto, I find the flavor needs a big boost or else it's too starchy/ricey, if that makes sense)

This recipe sounds very interesting with this flavor combination. I'm actually not a fan of blue cheese (I might like it if I could ignore the "blue" and get myself to actually taste it), but I really need to try it.

Just seeing this entry today since you linked to it. I make my risotto in a pressure cooker and don't have to stir it or wait for the squash to get soft. Sage and Gorgonzola is a nice variation if you get tired of Rosemary and Bleu. There's something wonderful about Butternut Squash Risotto, isn't there?